Help for the Desk Mess

“Where do I start?! There’s a pile on top of a desk with a hutch above, there are files in the drawer and in the bottom container, more files on top in file box, we have a small business that I do admin for so I have papers for it as well as bills, banking etc. The bottom of the desk holds things I want to sell on eBay.” – Angie

Angie, you can totally do this! Start by looking through your eBay stuff again – do you generally follow through on selling, or do the items just sit and sit? If you tend to follow through, are those particular items worth your time and effort to photograph, list, pack up, and ship out? If they are, then list those items now and get them out of your house! Or, free yourself from the commitment and simplify you life a little bit by just dropping the things off at a donation center and writing the amount off on your taxes.

It sounds like you need a defined space for office work in addition to your space for home papers so separate those things out. You can dedicate a tote or a drawer to work documents, and have a separate drawer or tote for personal documents.

In addition to extra papers and eBay items, I think I see a closet without a door to the left of the desk – make good use of that closet! My mom uses pretty baskets in her closet to neatly store items – you could do something similar using the baskets and totes you already have on-hand.

My mom’s closet

When you declutter, take a few minutes to move the wall decor several inches to the right so it isn’t covered up by the desk! I’m also seeing what looks like random clutter piles – as you’re going through those stacks, keep this tip in mind:

“We don’t need as much stuff as we think we need. If you haven’t used an item in a year, then you probably don’t need to keep it.” – Davonne Parks, Chaos to Clutter-Free

I hope this helps you, Angie! Please let me know if you have any more questions about your office, and don’t forget to submit photos of your great space after you’re finished decluttering!

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A Note from Davonne

Hi! Are you weary from accomplishing the same, seemingly invisible tasks every day and wondering if what you do really matters? I was. If you need to believe, deep in your soul, that your role at home is valuable, then you've come to the right place. Read More